Nica round two '09

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Today was yet again not exactly what i expected. I was supposed to go back to Los Brasilles today but last minute got switched to Oscars yet again for language skills. Today was the oscars kids sponsor to child lunch. What happens is each sponsor gets to go spend time and go out to eat with their kid. It's really important eapecialy because a lot of our group jut picked a kid last night so this wasvthere first time to see them and I was needed to translate. I will admit that i was really sad because I had told all the kids especially milady that I would be back today. And the fact that I had only had one day at hogar so far and our trip is half over. I really had to hold back tears on this disappointment. So of course all day I translated and I actually had a really good time. I got to work a lot with the special needs kids and that's always a blessing in itself. Also David jospehs new little boy that he has started sponsoring had a very very very bad infection in his toe. I have never seen anything like it and the fact that he has had it for 9 days amazes me. It looked so painful! I talked to Oscar jr. and we talked about taking him to the doctor in the morning. But in the meantime I went ahead and cleaned, drained, and dressed his infection while I showed the secretary at the school. She called the hospital and made arrangements to bring him in tomorrow. It shocks me how a simple cut or scratch can turn into something like that which can be fatal with no care. For us back in the states a little neosporin and a bandaid prevent that with pretty much no worries.

Since I wasn't at hogar today I haven't gotten word on the sponsorship with milady yet but I plan on asking Ginny as soon as I get bak to la quinta. On another note Ryan (intern) Whitney (intern) and Colton all got sick last night. When I say sick I mean the kind you don't want to get while travelling to a foreign country. We went to lunch at a chicken place called tiptop that was very interesting but good. Tonight we are going to Eskimo for the best icecream you'll evverrrrrr taste! Well i'm done for today! Buenas noches hasta mañana!!!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Well let me start out by saying today was amazing! We woke up and had breakfast which this time consisted of again gallo pinto, with pancakes, juice and fruit. After that we had our Devo on expectations and still studied the fifth chapter of 2 kings. I was frothing at the mouth to get on that bus and go to Hogar in Los Brasilles. Once we got there I had a reunion! Milady was so happy to see me as was Michelle and micah and all the other amazing children I missed. We spent the day mostly at hogar or I did because of my language skills. While at hogar i got a chance to talk with Jennifer one of the older girls who is 17. We talked about her past and wow was it eye opening. Her mom didn't want her because of a reason she doesn't know. Her mom apparently doesn't like her at all. She told me she hit her and showed me the scars on her hands from burns. As I sat there holding her hands and watching tears fall from her eyes I realized how awesome god is to give this amazing girl a second chance. We talked an I told her how special she was to be at hogar and how much of a difference she made to me and Kayla talkingto us. It was so moving.

Another important part of today was that I went with Ginny and we talked with miladys mom about me sponsoring her. It's a process because she doesn't go to Joshua 1:8 the school we work with. Instead she goes to a public school because they don't have the money. We looked at her grades and they are awesome all A's!! Now it's just a matter of seeing if there is room for her in first grade. Martha my sponsor right now is going to be sponsored by Emily as they have a closer relationship much like mine with milady. In praying that this will work out and I know that whatever happens is gods will and it will be great either way. I had to do a short blog today because of how exhauseted I am! Pray for the nicaraguans! And also that my sponsorship with milady will work out. Te amo!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Let me start off by first saying that as our first night at la quinta it was a very interesting night. I will say that although I have my own manajorie of animals in my backyard back home that I have never been awoken by so many species in one night. First it was the very confused rooster that cockadoodle dooed from 12:11 am til the morning. That alone kept me awake. Then there was the large assortment of parrots in the garden and on the porch screeching and squacking like no other. Next was papito the German shepard who is very docile and sweet but loud. Okay well I know that this trip isn't anywhere near about me so moving on. This morning was literally the morning that i have been looking forward too for months on end. So even with little sleep I hopped out of bed and went to breakfast which consisted of gallo pinto (pure deliciousness) white pineapple, amazing orange juice, other fruits and melt in your mouth buttery eggs. After thatvwe went to our daily morning disscusions slash devotionals. Cecil who is one of the major NRN people along with his wife Ginny, do the morning devos. Cecil is verrrry interesing and different in his discussions with anyone. He lovesanswering a question to a question. This morning we talked about pride and how if you are humiliated by your flaws then you are very prideful and to become accepting and humble you have to let go of that pride. Hearing that is something that makes me think of serving and not being prideful so I can have a servants heart.

Now onto the rest of the day! This morning was kind of sad...me and Kelsey found out that we had to go knock down a house on the complete opposite side of town and not get to go to Hogar De Fey, the orphanage in the community Los Brasilles. Literally when we heard this news we had to hold back tears. I have waited so long for the first day back at Hogar and now it was being pushed back. We didn complain out loud of course just among us. But all I could think about was that I wouldn't get to see Milady, Estrellita, Korelia, Michelle, Ginny, Marta, Kevin or any of the children I adore with all my heart.

Again this trip is not about me so I didn't complain and I knew this was for a reason. As soon as we got to the house we were demolishing Kelsey and I saw the most adorable little girl inside the big house on the property. She was c to the u to the t to the e cuuuute. And me and Kelsey spent hours playing with her. Being the only girls in our group accept Jessica one of our leaders, basically there wasn't really anything we could do that would be safe or that we were able to. So we talked (through me as I'm the only one who can really speak Spanish) with the girl whose name was Genesis pronounced hennysi and her family which consisted of her mom, grandmother and uncle. Genesis is only three so we had so much fun singing, playing games and taking pictures. I also walked her to the corner store where we bought Bon bons and galletas or blowpops and cookies all for the American equivalent of about 7 cents. I will say that although the girls mostly lounged around playing doctor and swinging in a hammock with the cutest toddler ever we did knock down a cement bathroom with sledge hammers. That's right I knocked down cement and now can barely move my arms. For dinner we had cactus juice, rice, bread, salad, papas, and pollo (chicken). It was super delicious and I think I have gained 5 pounds.

I guess a big lesson I learned from today was being able to make the best out of an outcome you may not be too fond of. Even though I am so excited to see my little sisters and brothers at hogar tomorrow I still wish I could have seen them today. But having the chance to shower one little girl with attention and show her family care and love was great and the feeling it gives me is why I want to be a missionary forever. Today when we got back to the quinta and when all the other groups showed up we discussed amongst ourselves the day we each had experienced. Emily told me that she saw Milady and that she and her mother had asked where I was. Hearing that made my heart leap! I was ecstatic. Not only does she remember me but apparently has been asking for me to everyone she comes across. Tomorrow is a new day and I will see the kids that I love more than anything in this world!

Our group is utterly amazing. Seriously we are all so unique. Basically if you rolled us all up like sushi you'd taste sarcasm, kindness, humor, productivity, selflessness, humility, happiness, and you could savor the taste of perfection in every un perfect way. I am so glad to be here and couldn't ask for better people a better cause or a better experience than the one I am experiencing now. Well buenas noches!! A few pictures will be up soon. Te amo!

Monday, August 10, 2009

We've arrived in Houston and I'm so excited to get to Managua I can't really express my feelings in words. It's going to be so awesome to be able to see the kids bright, tan smiling faces when they see all of us. It's weird to think that just 4 months ago we were there building a house for a very sweet family in need. We have just learned that we will be getting there just in time to move that family in to their new house. I'm so happy for that because we started something and now we get to finish it. As we are on the plane about to depart I met a young woman with two little girls. They live in Nicaragua and work with ywam which stands for youth with a mission. It makes me think again how much I want to make a difference in the world and hopefully work for ywam all over or some other similar program. Being fluent in Spanish really makes a difference in the work I'm ableto do in nica. The love I feel for that country and it's people is unimaginable to those who haven't experienced something like it. As of noe we've had so much fun. Our whole group is extremely lively and very much excited. Kelsey and I have had lots of fun running through airports backwards on the little flat escalator things. We thought no one saw but the flight attendants commented on it several times. Keep checking the blog, I might post more tonight and if not for sure tomorrow. Adios burn suerte para todos. Con mucho amor, hasta mañana!